


dog

by kate_the_reader



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Animal Transformation, M/M, inception trope bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 22:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7380037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate_the_reader/pseuds/kate_the_reader
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur likes dogs. Eames can work with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dog

**Author's Note:**

> Another step in Arthur and Eames's dance towards each other.
> 
> In this instance, chasingriver helped me fix a MAJOR flaw in this story. Thank you!

A smile breaks across Arthur’s face as they walk to the workspace from the hotel. 

“What a great dog!” he says. “Here boy!” He crouches down, hands on knees, as the pit bull strains at its leash. “That’s a great dog,” he says to the man holding the leash. 

“He _is_ pretty cool,” says the man. "His name's Mike." 

He comes a bit closer and Arthur drops to one knee on the pavement. And now he’s letting the dog lick his face, eyes screwed up, dimples decorating his cheeks. 

Eames has never seen Arthur with a dog before, wouldn't have pegged him as a dog person. 

The dog's owner is smiling, but he tugs the leash gently. "I've … um ... got to go," he says. 

Arthur stands up, reaches into his pocket for a handkerchief and wipes his cheek. “Really great dog,” he says to the guy over his shoulder as they continue on their way. "I had a dog pretty much like that when I was a kid," he says, with rueful shrug. "I miss dogs." 

** 

Eames glances over periodically all morning as Arthur sits at his laptop, frowning at a spreadsheet of the mark’s recent contacts, hunting for patterns. When he looks up at Eames, he seems a little wistful. 

Finally, Ariadne comes over and says the build is ready for them to test. Eames stands up from where he’s been looking through a photo album of the mark’s latest holiday, trying to get an idea of who to forge. 

“Right, shall we do this?” he says, “Arthur?” 

“Alright,” says Arthur, “Coming!” 

He comes over and unrolls the PASIV tubing, handing Eames a cannula. “Two minutes?” he says, smoothly inserting the needle in his wrist and sitting with his finger poised over the button. 

“Right, two minutes, it’s just a walk-through,” Eames agrees, inserting his own needle and leaning back in the recliner set up for dreaming. 

******

Ari has constructed a resort hotel with extensive gardens, based on their idea that the mark will have his guard down while on “holiday”. There’s an intricate hedge maze of flowering bougainvillea. 

“I'll go and check the rooms, shall I?” says Eames. “Do you want to do the maze, Arthur?” 

“Fine,” says Arthur, who is wearing a pair of Ray-Bans and has his sleeves rolled to his elbows, “sure.” 

He turns into the maze without looking back at Eames. 

What not a lot of people know, even someone who’s been in dreamshare as long as Arthur, is that a skilled forger can project not only another human, but an animal. There’s not much call for it, but Eames is fascinated by the skill. He hasn't tried to do many animals, but a brindled Staffordshire terrier he had as a child is one he has been quite successful with. 

He waits till Arthur has made a few turns in the maze before following him in. Hidden behind a hedge, he thinks his way into the dog. It's an odd sensation, suddenly to feel four feet on the ground, to be just a couple of feet tall, to _smell so much_. 

His dog-nose twitches, picking up the scents of dust, and plants, and a hamburger on a lunch table 100 feet away on the terrace. And behind it all, Arthur’s cologne. Light, citrusy, with a hint of spice. Eames would recognize that particular scent anywhere, even without dog senses. As it is, once he’s picked it up, it's easy to follow through the maze. 

Arthur is really good at mazes, always has been, his logical brain able to build a picture of their turns and dead-ends. 

When Eames catches up with him, he sitting on a stone bench at the dead center of the puzzle, leaning back on his hands, his face turned up towards the sun. 

Eames barks once, just to get his attention, and sits down a few feet away. 

Arthur turns his head. “Oh, hi!” he says. “You’re a handsome guy, what’s your name?” 

He leans down, holding out his hand, and Eames bounds forward, tail wagging. 

He feels ridiculous, but he grins a dog grin and bumps his head against Arthur’s outstretched hand. 

“Where'd you come from?” Arthur says, scratching behind Eames’s ears. 

And that feels really, really weird. Not bad, but weird. He barks again and leaps up, paws on Arthur's knees. 

“Hey!” laughs Arthur, “Careful, you!” But he ducks his face towards Eames, clearly expecting to be licked. 

Eames will not deny he’s long wanted to get his mouth on Arthur’s, but he really didn't think it would be like this. He gives a tentative lick and Arthur laughs again. 

“You're a lovely dog, aren’t you?” he says, all those dimples right there. 

Eames barks again, but Arthur is standing up. 

“Damn,” he says, “we only put two minutes on the clock. I better go find Eames. Come on, boy, you can show me the way out.” 

Eames glances over his shoulder and leads the way, as if Arthur needs a guide. 

At the exit from the maze, he turns to bump his head against Arthur’s knee before running off. 

Eames saunters out of the hotel just as Arthur gets to the front door. 

“There you are, darling!” he says. “Maze alright?” 

“Yes, fine,” says Arthur. “Really good, actually!” He grins. “There was this really great dog,” he says. 

“That so?” says Eames, looking over at him. “Make up for this morning at all?” 

“Yeah,” says Arthur, “it did. Pity we only put two minutes on the clock. Time to go.” 

** 

When Eames opens his eyes, he hears Arthur saying to Ariadne: “Animals are pretty rare in dreams. I mean, most people’s subconscious doesn't bother with them. I wonder why there was a dog there?” 

He looks over at Eames with a speculative frown. “What do you think?” he says, “Why was there a dog there?” 

“Can't imagine. Interesting puzzle though, eh?” says Eames. 

“But the build was okay?” says Ariadne, turning back to her drafting table. 

“Yes, sure,” says Arthur, “perfect. Pretty maze, by the way.” 

He looks back at Eames, a small frown still between his eyes, and holds his gaze. “It was a really beautiful dog,” he says, smiling. 


End file.
